Out from under
by scalectra
Summary: Isaac Lahey returns to Beacon Hills to face the demons he has been hiding from


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. End of story.**

 **This fic will only be posted on Archive of Our Own, if you see it elsewhere just know it has been plagiarized**

 **Out from under**

The moving truck pulls over in the dead of night under the cover of darkness, right in front of the house which Isaac had called home. That is until he came home from school one day and witnessed his father murder his business partner by drowning him in their pool. And was about to drag the body out of the pool when he looked up and realised his son saw, but Isaac got out of the house before his father could make it out of the pool and never looked back.

That was five years ago. Five years of running and staying in safe house after safe house under protective custody. Because as it turns out, underneath the guise of high school swimming coach, his father was a drug dealer, a powerful one at that. And his business partner wasn't the first person he'd killed.

No, there'd been others, Isaacs mother included.

She'd found out about his side business and confronted him about it, threatened to tell the police about it and the front door of the house was the last thing she saw before he hit her over the head with a baseball bat and buried her body out in the backyard.

Isaac had witnessed that also. He was eight. But he told himself it was all just bad dream. And the following morning when his dad told him that his mom left them and wasn't coming back, he knew it wasn't.

He tried telling his teachers about it when they noticed he'd grown quieter than usual, but his father laughed it off and told his teachers the same lie he told Isaac over and over again: "his mother left us and he doesn't know how to deal with that, so naturally there needs to be a bad guy to blame for this and I guess that's going to have to be me."

And that was the end of that. His father had gotten away with murder and pretty soon, Isaac, started to believe that he'd imagined all of it. You tell someone a lie enough times and eventually they start to believe it.

His brother, Camden, didn't though; and after realising how manipulative his father was, Camden decided it would be better if he just left and serve his country. His brother walking out and leaving him with their father is the last memory Isaac has of him. Everything there after turned into an endless nightmare.

And now five years later, all grown up, seventeen year old Isaac is here to face his demons and put an end to the nightmare once and for all.

'You okay?' Derek his assigned officers' voice breaks through Isaacs thought.

Isaac who'd been staring at his old home since the truck pulled over tears his eyes away from it and looks at Derek innocently.

'Yeah, why?'

Derek looks pointedly at Isaacs's hands on the steering wheel, knuckles turned white from how tightly he'd been gripping the wheel. Isaac slowly loosens his grip and lets out a breathy nervous laugh.

'Nerves,' Isaac admits and Derek pats him on the shoulder, his way of reassuring Isaac that he is not alone in this.

'You don't have to do this you know. We can find another way to get your dad, another way that doesn't end up with you so much as breathing the same air as that man if you're not ready to.'

Isaac shakes his head determinedly and looks back at the house, not wanting his face to betray him and show Derek how much he does not want to be here.

'You said the evidence you have against him is not enough, that you need a confession from him to make your case against my father air tight…'

'Yeah, but you don't have to be the one to get it from him.'

'I don't see anyone else getting him to talk, do you?'

Derek keeps quiet, his silence letting Isaac know he has a point. It's Isaac's turn to pat Derek on the shoulder reassuring him earning a smile from Derek, a rare sight, because Derek does not smile for people. He instead keeps them at an arm's length, a safe distance, because according to Derek: _"A smile is just an invitation for people to get close enough to hurt you."_

Isaac though, has come to learn that he's an exception to that rule. Why? Because Derek can actually relate to Isaac, having lost most of his family himself and left with the only member of the family he does not relate to. Yeah, Derek could definitely relate.

Both Isaac and Derek climb out of the truck and are immediately greeted by loud music coming from the house across the street, a party clearly in full swing. Isaac notices the number of cars lining up the sidewalk most probably cars belonging to the party goers, Isaac guesses.

Most of the cars look luxurious and expensive, but the car that stands out like a sore thumb for Isaac, is the Jeep just a few feet away from the truck, that seems to be out of place in the sea of expensive cars. Isaac decides he likes the Jeep, for the fact that it looks less pretentious as opposed to the rest of them. It stands out without trying too hard, but still manages to blend in.

'Get the idea out of your head. That right there' Derek points to the house where the party is going down. 'Is never going to happen, not while we're living together.'

Isaac feigns disappointment. 'I thought we could throw a house warming party, and invite half the town. How else is my father supposed to know I'm back?'

'It's a small town and we just moved into his old house and come Monday you'll be, Isaac Evans, the new kid in school, not exactly subtle. Trust me the news will reach your father come the end of the week if not sooner.'

Hopefully not too soon Isaac thinks to himself. Derek walks past him towards the back of the truck.

'Come on, you've got boxes to move and I have surveillance to set up before prying neighbours come knocking on our door. We better get started.'

Scott McCall was not enjoying the party as much as his best friend, Stiles, promised he would. And no amount of alcohol put in his hand, however strong, could ever loosen him up enough to make the party enjoyable.

If anything he was even more miserable here, than he would have been had he stayed home like he wanted to and moped like he planned to, had Stiles not dragged him to the party to get him out of the _"slump"_ that he has been in.

Stiles' words not his.

Why was he more miserable here at a party full of comical drunk teenagers, who are tripping over themselves than he would have been if he'd stayed at home?

Because the object of his misery, Allison Argent, his ex; is dancing a few feet away from him, in the arms of another boy that she's moved onto. Matt.

Punch line to the joke, Scott actually likes Matt. He's a fair enough lacrosse player, always passes to Scott when there's an opening. And he's an even better photographer and decent enough guy to change the subject and not flaunt his happiness with Allison in Scott's face whenever he is talking to a fellow teammate or really anyone who will listen about his relationship with Allison should Scott happens to walk in or walk by at that moment.

And Scott appreciates it, because hey, he gets it. Allison has that effect on you. Once she's sunk her perfectly manicured nails into you, you're hooked. She becomes the axis on which your world revolves around. Scott can recall every waking moment he spent talking about Allison to Stiles and his mom, heck even Matt, to the point that stiles told him to _"…put a cap on it or I'm going to maim and kill myself."_

Scott is not sure how exactly Stiles would have gone about doing that, but knowing his best friend, he'd find a way.

Scott sighs, casting his eyes down not wanting to see the kiss Matt and Allison are sharing, if Scott is counting right, this is the millionth kiss he has witnessed since he spotted them. Although his bleeding heart might be exaggerating a bit on the number.

To him it feels like a million kisses, around the same amount of knives going through his heart in that moment.

He slams his still full beer plastic cup on the table, getting some of it on the sleeve of his sweater as it spills over from the force and heads for the door with no particular destination in mind, really anywhere is better than here.

'Yo, Scott buddy. Where you going man?' Stiles grabs his best friend by the arm stopping him in his tracks.

'Home,' Scott says, nodding his head in the direction of the happy couple.

Stiles looks at him sympathetically, but does not say " _I'm sorry"_ , because he knows how fed up Scott is of hearing it from him and his mom and everyone who can see how hard he is taking the break up.

'You're supposed to be my wingman, remember. I mean who else is supposed to help pick up the pieces of my broken heart once, Lydia, rejects me for the millionth time but my best friend?'

'Stiles, it's been ten years. Don't you think it is about time you gave up on Lydia and just—' Scott shrugs before adding. 'Move on?'

Stiles stares at his friend incredulously, wanting so badly to tell Scott to do the same and _move on_ from Allison, but being the understanding friend that he is, thinks better of it.

'Scott, you underestimate how patient I can be when it comes to this girl, ten years is like a blink of an eye for me.' He says without managing to sound pathetically whipped.

'Besides,' Stiles adds. 'I think I'm starting to wear her down. I mean before she wouldn't even spare me a glance, but now she actually stands there and listens to me quote sonnets about her beauty, and how star crossed lovers worthy our connection is. Although, I must admit she gets this glazed over look in her eyes while I'm talking that may or may not be her drifting off to her happy place to cut my rambling off; or she could be picturing our future together. I don't wanna sound cocky here buddy, but I'm positive it's the latter. What do you think?'

Scott doesn't answer he just continues looking in the direction he has been looking in since stiles mentioned, broken heart and rejection. Stiles follows his gaze and sighs audibly when he sees what's captured Scott's attention. Matt and Allison, laughing to themselves all the while looking at each other with heart shaped eyes and cupids' arrow sticking out both their asses.

Stiles turns back to Scott and pats him on the shoulder. 'So, that's a no on helping me pick up the pieces of my broken heart then?'

Scott shakes his head and looks at his friend. 'I can't,' he starts. His eyes land on Allison and Matt again. 'I'm still tryna pick up the pieces of mine.'

Stiles nods, feeling his friends' pain, and hating Allison a little for what she's putting Scott through. Nothing hurts more than not being wanted by the one you love the most. Especially if he/she is your first love. Stiles knows he jokes a lot about Lydia, breaking his heart a little every time she rejects him, but in truth, his heart does really break.

Stiles takes out the keys to his Jeep out of his pocket and hands them to Scott.

'Wait for me in the car, I might a couple of min…' he cuts himself off when Lydia passes by '…hours, I might be a couple of hours or so, give or take.'

Scott pats Stiles on the shoulder as a sign of encouragement and take the keys from Stiles and leaves the party.

Isaac has worked up quite a sweat, what with going in and out and in and out and in and out of the house and the truck for the past ten minutes or so and he is only half way through.

Once he gets the last five boxes in the house, he can get started with unpacking and hopefully that won't take much time because all Isaac wants to do is sleep.

'Who knew fake moving into a neighbourhood could be exhausting.' Isaac wonders out loud to himself, climbing onto the truck to retrieve more boxes.

Derek is somewhere out back, having moved the boxes he needs to set up surveillance around the house, leaving Isaac to move in the rest of the boxes.

He picks up a heavy box and makes his way to the exit. He gets the fright of his life when he notices movement out of the corner of his eye near the Jeep. For a moment allowing himself to believe that his father was there for him. He jumps, startled by the movement and drops the box on his foot.

'Shit! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!' Isaac curses, grabbing at the now throbbing foot and jumping about, eyes shut, waiting for the throbbing to die down.

'Dude, are you okay?' Scott says, causing Isaac to let out a surprised yelp at the unexpectedness of his presence and he trips over air and lands on his ass, making the truck move from the impact.

Scott lets out a chuckle at the scene that just unfolded, the closest he has ever come to a laugh in a long time and climbs onto the truck to help Isaac up.

'Are you okay?' Scott asks offering a helping hand.

'Do I look okay to you?' Isaac snaps, slapping aside Scott's hand and picking himself up of the truck floor.

'I didn't mean to scare. I didn't know anyone was out here.' Scott snaps back. Usually he wouldn't, he has more patience than that but hey, he's having a bad couple of months and this is the closest to a verbal outlet he's gotten.

'You didn't scare me!' Isaac takes a step forward towering over Scott, trying to intimidate him. Wincing when he puts too much weight on his injured foot.

That's Isaac's tactic of keeping people at a distance. Derek has the "no smiling rule" and a permanent scowl on his face.

Isaac on the other hand has his height and snarl, which is its own "keep away" sign.

And really at this point people just cower under his height and walk away with their tails in between their legs, but Scott mimics Isaac's action, takes a step forward and stands his ground.

'Sure I didn't.'

The two standoff, none willing to be the first to back down. A shout coming from outside the truck captures their attention, Scott recognises the voice as Stiles. Scott audibly groans wondering what Stiles has done now.

'Scott! Scott!' Stiles screams sounding out of breath, his footsteps thundering on the pavement from his running.

'Stiles?' Scott shouts in concern, his quarrel with Isaac forgotten.

Stiles comes into view panting. 'Jackson's after me—need to get—in the car—now!'

Not too far from the truck approaching footsteps coming from the direction of the party could be heard. Without hesitating Scott throws Stiles the keys and jumps out of the truck, both he and Stiles haul ass to the Jeep. Isaac watches on from the truck.

Scott and Stiles reach the Jeep but it's not long until Jackson and his goons are surrounding them. Jackson grabs Stiles by the shirt and slams him against the Jeep, while two of his friends hold Scott back.

'Not the car dumbass, not the car.' Stiles complains, only managing to anger Jackson even more.

'How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from Lydia?' Jackson hisses.

'Is that a rhetorical question?' Stiles quips.

Jackson raises his fist, ready to punch Stiles in the face but gets stopped half way through the action, and before he knows it, he has his arms pinned to his back and face pressed against Stiles' Jeep, facing Stiles who has his eyes closed bracing for the impact of Jackson's fist that never comes.

Stiles hesitantly opens one eye and is surprised to see Jackson pinned to his Jeep next to him by some guy he has never seen before.

'Do we have a problem here?' Derek asks, his eyes landing on each and everyone one of the six teenagers there, Isaac included, who got out of the truck at some point during the altercation.

Derek's eyes land on Jackson's friends who looked ready to pounce and he fixes them with a warning glare that has them letting Scott go and taking a step back. Scott immediately rushes to Stiles' side to check on his friend.

'You okay?' Scott asks, concerned.

Stiles nods vehemently and straightens out his shirt where Jackson grabbed it.

'I'm good.' Stiles looks at Derek and nods at him. 'Thanks.'

Derek lets Jackson go and takes a step back. Jackson being Jackson, very dramatically turns around and glares at Derek.

'You!' Jacksons points at Derek, trying to hide how intimidated he really is. 'Are going to pay for that.'

'And who's going to make me pay, you?' Derek takes a threatening step towards Jackson who cowardly backs away.

'Let's go.' Jackson says to his friends, turning on his heels and starting toward his house. His footsteps come to a halt when his eyes land on Isaac. Recognition flickering across Jackson's face.

'Don't I know you?' Jackson asks.

Isaac in a moment of panic looks to Derek. They both share a look, both coming to the conclusion that Isaac's father might hear about his arrival sooner than they both thought. Isaac shrugs and looks away.

Jackson feeling Derek's glare on him walks away, his friends' right behind him.

'We should go,' Scott says to Stiles.

'Yeah, we should.' Stiles jogs to the other side of the car, and unlocks the passenger side for Scott once inside. Scott opens the door and hovers for a few seconds.

'Scott?' Stiles questions.

Scott ignores Stiles and turns and looks at Isaac. 'I'd put ice on that foot if I were you.' Scott advices, 'just saying.'

'Did you hear about the new kid?' Stiles says standing behind Scott, catching his friend off guard.

'I hate it when you do that.' Scott complains shutting his locker and turning around to give Stiles his full attention.

'And I told you I enjoy it, hence why I keep doing it.' Stiles throws his arm around Scott's shoulder and starts down the hall while trying not to bump into the other students as they walk.

'Stiles we just walked past Mr Harris's class.' Scott points out.

'Why are we continuing walking past Mr Harris class?' Scott questions. 'You know we're going to get in trouble if we're late, right.'

Stiles scoffs and waves Scott off. 'We're always in trouble with Mr Harris or as I'd like to call him, the devils greased haired spawn.'

'You mean, **YOU'RE** always in trouble.'

'Yes, yes and somehow you always end up sitting right next to me in detention.'

Scott looks at Stiles with incredulous amusement. 'There's no somehow about it. I end up sitting next to you in detention **BECAUSE** of you.'

'Yeah well, what are best brothers for?' Stiles smiles smugly at Scott 'See what I did there?

I said best brothers, as in you're my **best friend** and **brother** , all I had to do was drop friend from best friends and replace it with brother, get it best brother, best brother, get it, get it?'

Scott laughs at Stiles' ridiculousness and pats his friend on the shoulder. 'Yes Stiles I get it, you're mine to.'

'That's a given.' Stiles says in his usual sarcastic way, and turns making his way up the stairs, dragging Scott with him.

'Where are we going anyway?' Scott asks, recognising the way to the principal's office.

'Principal's office.'

'And why exactly are we willingly going to the principal's office instead of waiting for Mr Harris to send us there, what you trying to take the fun out of it for him?'

Stiles smiles in a way that tells Scott that he'll save that one for much later, just to see Mr Harris's face when he realises he has been stripped of the pleasure of sending them both, more specifically Stiles himself, to the principal's office.

'No, we're not here for that. We're here to check out the new student.' Stiles finally says as they near the office.

'Why?'

'Because, I like being in the Know Scott. We may be at the bottom of the social ladder but that does not mean that we don't deserve to be in the know. Think about it, while this poor kid is forced to stand in front of the class and wave awkwardly at everyone while the teacher introduces him or her. You and I can smugly lean back on our chairs and be like _"Pssh, we already know."_ You know?'

Scott farrows his eyebrows in confusion as his brain tries to decipher _Stiles logic_ , but nods regardless. 'I think so?'

'It will hit you buddy don't worry.' Stiles pushes Scott down on the chair next to the principal's office that both boys have grown all too familiar with thanks to the number of trips they make to the said office.

Both boys try to take a peek through the open blinds and can see the backs of the two figures sitting on the visitor side of the desk. The figure on the left with curly light brown hair and the figure on the right with dark cropped hair.

Isaac bounces his leg nervously against the carpeted floor of the office, while Derek continues listening to Principle Thomas spin him the same rehearsed speech Isaac is sure he has spun to the other students parents, about how Isaac will enjoy schooling there and how everyone is a family and blah, blah, blah.

Honestly both Isaac and Derek couldn't care less about all that, enrolling Isaac in BHHS is just a—necessity for pretence sake, and both he and Derek need to play their roles well if they want a chance in hell to lure Isaac's father out (who knows how long that will take) and get the confession they need, and hopefully be out before the semester comes to an end.

At the thought of his father, Isaac tenses up at the fear of having to see him again. His stomach had been tied up in knots all weekend, he could barely eat anything without the feeling of wanting to vomit, and this morning he did when it finally hit him that he's actually going to have to leave Derek's safety and be out in the open, exposed, in order for the plan to work.

Derek of course tried reassuring him once he'd stopped emptying out the contents of his stomach, that he (Derek) won't be far, and all Isaac needs to do is press the panic button on his key chain and Derek will be right there quote _"guns blazing"_ unquote. Not that his words did anything to stop Isaac from ducking his head down into the toilet bowl and hurl the rest of his breakfast out.

Isaac is pulled from his thoughts at the gentle reassuring squeeze Derek gives his knee, the reassurance doing nothing to ease Isaac's anxiety but appreciates Derek's efforts for trying.

'Ready for your first day Isaac?' Principle Thomas asks.

'More nervous than ready.' Isaac answers honestly

'Don't worry the day will be over before you know it. And who knows you might make a few friends by the end of it.'

'Not likely,' Isaac says under his breath, following the other men's lead and standing up walking towards the door.

'What's your first lesson Isaac?' Principle Thomas asks.

Isaac looks down at his time table and groans inwardly, "figures the start of the day would be a crappy one" Isaac thinks to himself.

'Chemistry with Mr Harris.'

'Chemistry, let me see if I can't find a student wondering around who won't mind showing you to your classes and give you a tour of the school until you can find your feet.'

Principal Thomas opens the door and Isaac hears hurried shuffling and squeaking of sneakers on tiled floor. As soon as Isaac steps out of the office he recognises Scott immediately, sitting outside the principal's office looking at them with a blank just got caught with my hand in the cookie jar, expression on his face that has Isaac chuckling to himself.

And Scott's friend, Isaac thinks, who's doing a terrible job of hiding himself behind a teen girl magazine, is not helping with how comic the situation looks at all.

'Mr Stilinski and Mr McCall,' Principal Thomas acknowledges them.

Scott gives a quick wave and a nod of his head, while Stiles acts like he's only now noticing their presence.

'Principal Thomas, this is a nice surprise.' Stiles says earning a "oh, really" look from his head master.

'What are you doing out here boys. Again.' Principal Thomas inquires tiredly.

'What are we doing out he…'

Stiles trails of, then makes a show of looking around at his surroundings, a mock expression of astonishment on his face. 'Wait a minute, this isn't the library.'

'Scott,' Stiles looks at his best friend who is trying really hard not to laugh at Stiles' dramatics.

Scott coughs into his hand before replying. 'Yes, Stiles.'

'This isn't the library.'

'No, it isn't.' Scott plays along. 'Weird.'

'And confusing, I mean the comfortable chairs…' he waves the magazine in the air. '…and readily available reading material, it can be very confusing.'

Scott stands up pulling Stiles up with him 'We'll go now.'

'What he said,' Stiles concurs. The boys don't make it two steps before Principal Thomas stops them.

'Wait. Where are you two headed?'

'Mr Harris.' Both Scott and Stiles say in unison.

'Oh, good' Principal Thomas looks over at Isaac. 'Found you your tour guides for the day. You can follow them to class.'

Isaac shoots Derek a panicked look. Hating himself for acting like a little kid on his first day of school, looking to his parents with pleading eyes to not leave him.

Scott frowns noticing the look for the second time now, the first time was on the weekend when Jackson had thought he recognised Isaac. Scott had thought nothing of it then, but now…

'And this is the cafeteria,' Stiles says walking through the open door, Scott and Isaac walking in after him. 'Scott show the man where we sit, I'm gonna go and get something to eat.'

With that Stiles heads for the lunch line, leaving Scott and Isaac alone for the first time. Isaac and Scott stand in silence, both only now realising that Stiles had pretty much been the one to fill the silence with his constant rambling, thus rendering any conversation between the two unnecessary. Until now.

Scott clears his throat and nods to a random empty table. 'This way.' Scott says leading the way and Isaac silently following behind him.

They sit in silence across from each other. Isaac fidgety from all the eyes he can feel on him, the paranoid part of him already thinking the worst causing the nauseating feeling from that morning to return slowly, tauntingly.

'Are you okay?' Scott asks, noting Isaac change of colour.

'Yeah.'

'Are you sure, you look like you're going to be sick.'

'Nah, I- I'm good.' Isaac says leaning back on his chair and folding his arms over his chest

'You sure, you seem…on edge.'

Isaac scowls at Scott, going into defensive mode instinctively. 'Which is it, sick or on edge? And while we're on that topic, what does it have to do with you?'

Scott is taken aback at the change of mood, it's like being back in the truck with Isaac the first time they met all over again. Scott had wondered where that Isaac had gone, because all morning Isaac had been acting timid, edgy and anxious, nothing like the Isaac in the truck or the one sitting in front of him right now, glaring daggers at him.

Not wanting a repeat performance of he and Isaac in the truck, and spending an entire lunch with tension in the atmosphere. Scott decides it'd be better if he just extend an olive branch and clear the air. Scott clears his throat and starts tapping a random beat on the table out, a nervous reaction of his.

'Look uh, if the attitude is about what happened on Saturday between you and me, I'm sorry okay. I was lost in my head I didn't notice the truck and I didn't mean to scare you or not scare you and I definitely did not mean to lash out at you. I'm not that guy, I'm a whole lot nicer than that guy that guy is a butt hole.'

Isaac bites down on the inside of his cheek to refrain from laughing at the phrase "butt hole."

But before he can stop himself he asks. 'Why did you do it then?'

Scott looks at Isaac, relieved that he wasn't going to have a one side conversation with himself. 'Do what?'

'"Lash out"' Isaac clarifies.

'A small part was because you lashed out first, and the main reason was because of Allison.'

Scott looks down, feeling weird about talking to a complete stranger about Allison. A topic he hasn't been able to _really_ talk about to his mom or even Stiles for that matter, but here sits in front of him a complete stranger and he's struggling to fight this sudden overwhelming feeling of wanting to unload and finally talk about how crappy the last couple of months have been for him.

'Allison?' Isaac uncrosses his arms and leans forward to hear Scott better above the chatter and white noise around him. All the negative thoughts and anxiety shifting to the back of his mind.

'Yeah, she's my g—she was my girlfriend. We broke up a couple of months ago, I kinda haven't gotten over her. She's was at the party I was at right across the street from your house with her boyfriend, and they were all happy and it just sucked seeing them.'

Scott looks over the lunch line at Stiles, who's three people away from the front of the line and sighs audibly before turning back to Isaac. 'Stiles and my mom keep saying I should move on already but they don't get it, she was my first everything, first love, first kiss, first…'

Scott clears and ducks his head bashfully. 'First time, and I love her. All those firsts still mean something to me, and it's not something I can move on from. Even if she has. And ever since we broke up, there's been this pressure in my chest, this crushing pressure and even though I'm moving it feels like I'm not, you know.

It's like when Thor put Mjolnir on top of Loki's chest. It's that kind of pressure and it's been building up and getting worse for weeks now, and I don't know how to make it go away. I swear sometimes it feels like I'm having a-a…'

'Panic attack.' Isaac fills in the blank.

Scott looks up at him and nods. 'I was gonna say asthma attack, but I've had both, so I guess it's the same difference in the end. And lashing out at you helped relief some of it. It was a shitty thing to do but it helped. So, sorry and thanks.'

'Glad I could help.' Isaac says sincerely and Scott smiles warmly and gratefully at him.

Seconds pass and Scott is still smiling at him, and Isaac feels pressured to smile back despite Derek's words playing over and over again in his head. He can't seem to fight the urge. Scott is just one of those people whose smiles is contagious and dammit Isaac, wants to smile back. And so he does.

'Oh my god dude you're smiling,' Stiles says breaking the moment Isaac and Scott were sharing.

'I've been trying to get him to do that for weeks now. What did you do? What did you say?' Stiles asks Isaac, placing his tray down and sitting next to Scott.

'Nothing,' both Scott and Isaac lie.

Isaac, because he doesn't think Scott would appreciate having the details of their conversation divulged to his best friend who thinks Scott _"…should move on already."_

And Scott, because he's sure Stiles is getting tired of hearing the same repeating track from Scott, titled: _Allison, can't move on from you._

Stiles gawks dumbfounded at the secret smiles Isaac and Scott, share, after noting their "jinx" moment. A feeling of jealousy washing over him, over the fact that he'd been trying for weeks now to get Scott to smile, laugh or give any indication that he was ok, that he was getting better. And all it took Isaac was a few minutes, a few minutes to get a freaking smile from Scott. Not just any smile. A GENUINE FREAKING SMILE.

'I don't like him.' Stiles announces.

Scott looks at Stiles, confused about who his best friend is talking about. Stiles nods towards the stands as he and Scott walk to the middle of the field to do their stretches, all geared up for practice. Scott follows his gaze and his eyes land on Isaac isolating himself from the other students who are also using up their free period to watch the team practice.

'Who Isaac?'

'No Scott. I'm talking about the invisible man next to him.' Stiles retorts. 'Yes, Isaac.'

'Why? He's an ok guy.' Scott says, dropping his lacrosse gear down and starting to do stretches.

Stiles does the same, never taking his eyes off Isaac. 'I don't know there's just something about him.'

'Something like what?'

'I don't know Scott, something. It's just… don't you find it weird how he always arrives at school just before the first bell and always the first one to leave school grounds. Not to mention he doesn't have friends. And he hardly says two words to anyone.'

Scott snorts and looks at his best friend. 'There's a word for people like that you know.'

'Yeah.' Stiles says, tearing his eyes away from Isaac and looking at Scott.

'Serial killer.'

'Introvert.'

Both guys say at the same time and pause their stretching when they hear what the other has said. Stiles looks at Scott like two heads just grew out of him.

'Really, Scott. Introvert?'

'Yes, Stiles. Not everyone is comfortable enough to walk up to a random stranger and start up conversation like you can. And FYI, Isaac and I talk all the time.'

'When do you guys get the chance to talk?' Stiles questions, his tone incredulous. 'I'm with you all the time, and he hasn't hung out with us since the first day.'

Scott shrugs. 'I don't know, during class, while we're changing classes, during free period, in the bathroom, in passing…'

Stiles cuts Scott off. 'Wait a minute, you're telling me you guys are having secret meetings in the bathroom without me.'

Scott rolls his eyes at Stiles, and gets back to stretching when he sees the coach coming out to the field. 'No, stiles. We are not having secret meetings in the bathroom without you.'

'So what, you guys just happened to be in the bathroom at the same time and decided to strike up conversation while taking a piss?'

'Yes and no. The bathroom thing happened once and it was packed, we weren't just gonna stand there and watch people pee that'd be too weird. So we just started talking.'

'About what?'

'Random things. Lacrosse. You, and how long we've been friends. Uh, my work at the clinic. Allison. School.'

'So, basically you talked about you.'

'Yeah.' Scott confirms.

'And during your talks and secret meetings in the bathroom, has he mentioned anything about himself or his weird friend who always picks him up in the black Camaro. Has he mentioned where they've moved from. What he does during the weekend. Why he looks like he's always on edge. Has he mentioned anything at all?' Stiles inquires.

Scott takes pause and thinks back to the conversations he and Isaac have had, and can't recall a moment where their conversations revolved around Isaac or his life. Curious.

The after school bell sounds, signalling the end of the school day and the start of the weekend. Isaac shoves his reading book in his bag and walks down the stands, headed for the front of the school where he knows Derek will be waiting for him.

'Scott!' he hears Stiles call out, he turns in the direction of the voice and sees Scott running over—to him?

Isaac stands there hesitating for a moment. Deciding whether he should continue walking or wait and see if Scott really is running to him and not towards him. If it's the former, Isaac wonders what Scott could possibly want from him. It's not like the two talk outside the school. Not that they ever get the chance to.

Derek being the main reason, he insists on dropping Isaac of at school minutes before the first bell and picks him up the second after the last bell goes off.

Not that Isaac doesn't appreciate it. If anything, knowing that Derek is there waiting for him after school, and was being literal about not being too far away, gives Isaac enough peace of mind, to not go into full panic mode each time Derek drives off or freak about being stuck and exposed in a building with twenty foot windows for eight hours.

With nothing for protection other than the walls, the many classes he can hide in and the sea of students he can disappear in should his father make an appearance. Which he still hasn't made much to Isaac's relief and dread.

'Are you going straight home?' Scott asks stopping in front of Isaac.

Isaac shakes his head slightly, stopping his train of thought and focusing his attention on Scott. 'What?'

'I asked if you were going straight home.'

Isaac frowns, wondering why Scott would ask him such a question out of the blue like that. What is he up to? Isaac wonders.

Isaac folds his arms in front of him on instinct. 'Why, what's it to you?'

Reading Isaac's closed off body language and picking up on his clipped tone, Scott raises his hands trying to show that he means no harm, he even goes as far as smiling sheepishly and taking a step back to give Isaac his space.

'Nothing, I just wanted to know if you maybe wanna hang out later. Uh, Stiles and I are having movie night over at my house, there's probably going to be take outs, depends on my mom but, yeah, I'd like for you to come…if you want.' Scott finishes looking at Isaac expectedly.

Isaac is taken aback, the shock showing on his face. In the five years of running and having nothing but Derek and the four walls of whichever safe house he was moved to for company, Isaac had forgotten the normal things other kids/teenagers do, like hang out at each other's houses and watching nothing but movies for most of the weekend. Homework's left forgotten until the last hour of Sunday.

'You can say no if you don't want to, I won't be offended.' Scott offers.

'No.' Isaac blurts out in response.

'Oh. Ok. I'll see you on Monday then.' Scott starts to turn, intending on making his way back to Stiles.

'Wait,' Isaac says grabbing Scott's arm and stopping him mid action. Scott turns his head and looks at him.

'I didn't mean no as in no. I meant no as in…' Isaac trails off, struggling to find the words.

Scott turns, facing Isaac full on. Isaac's hand still on his arm. 'You meant no as in?'

'I have to ask Derek,' Isaac pauses, a memory of saying the very same words not so long ago flashing through his mind, only the person he had to ask permission from wasn't Derek, but dad.

Scott shrugs. 'Ok. Let me just give you my numbers, you can shoot me a text. Do you have your phone with you?'

'I don't have one.' Isaac says bashfully.

'That's cool, do you have a pen?'

Isaac lets go of Scott's arm and reaches to the side of his bag and takes a pen out from the side pocket and hands it to Scott. Scott takes Isaac's arm and twists it slightly so his forearm is facing forward, then proceeds to write down his home address and his numbers.

'You can call me on your house phone with an answer, if you have one I mean. And if you don't, well then I guess I'll take your showing up or not showing up at my home as an answer. Ok?'

Scott finishes writing and gives Isaac one of his warm Scott McCall smiles, while he stands and waits for Isaac to say something. Isaac nods in reply, noticing the very limited amount of space between them that either Scott doesn't notice or is not bothered by.

'Great,' Scott beams. 'If you do show up bring a change a clothes. We'll turn movie night into a bro weekend full of movies, video games and junk food. Stiles and I do it all the time, it will be fun.'

Scott hands Isaac his pen back and heads back to Stiles who was watching the entire exchange with curious exasperation.

Two other pairs of eyes saw the exchange. First pair of eyes, watching from the entry way behind the stands leading to the field, watching the exchange with concern and sympathy. And second pair, from edge of the playing field, hidden by the trees, watching on with recognition and pent up rage.

Derek pulls up outside the McCall resident, with Isaac in the passenger seat. Isaac, who's still thrown by the fact that Derek agreed without putting up a fight. And all Isaac had to do was bring it up.

'So, Scott McCall invited me over to his house to watch movies tonight. It could turn into a weekend sleep over thing, and I was wondering if it was ok, if I uh—if I went.'

Isaac, had stammered through the speech he'd rehearsed the whole ride back to the house with Derek, and the hour in his room it took him to swallow down the nerves and go and talk to Derek.

'Ok.' Derek said simply and went back to reading his book.

'What?'

Derek looked up from his book again at Isaac's disbelieving tone and regarded Isaac, who seemed guarded and anxious. In that moment Derek caught a glimpse of Isaac who lived in that very house before he ran away and put into protective custody. The Isaac who was scared to ask his father for something as simple as a sleep over at a friend's.

He'd seen that Isaac earlier on, talking to Scott McCall. And he'd felt sorry for Isaac, because he knew he had not had the normal upbringing most teenagers had. And Derek felt obligated to allow him to at least get a taste of what that felt like, even if it means he has to park outside the McCall residence all weekend to keep an eye on Isaac, he'll do it.

'Are you sure you're ok with this?' Isaac looks over at Derek, tearing his eyes from the McCall house, which from where he's sitting looks a lot homier than his fathers' place.

Derek doesn't say anything, his eyes scan the immediate area for any kind of threat. When he's certain there is none, he reaches over to the back seat and takes the small bag Isaac packed, and hand it to him.

'Have fun, I'll pick you up Sunday morning.'

Isaac takes looks at Derek sceptically for a moment then gets out of the car and makes his way to Scott's front door. He knocks, feeling Derek's eyes on him the entire time.

'I'll get it.' he hears Scott shout from the inside. Then a second voice answers.

'I'm already at the door.' Just then the door swings open and Isaac comes face to face with Scott's mom.

'Hmm, you're not Stiles.' Melisa says with a tone that let's Isaac know she knows who he is, and is only teasing. 'No, he usually just walks in, so you must be…'

'Isaac!' Scoot exclaims excitedly behind his mom causing her to jump.

Isaac waves sheepishly at both of them. 'Hi.'

With her hand on her chest, Melisa smiles at Isaac then steps aside. 'Come in.'

Isaac looks over his shoulder and waves at Derek before walking in. Isaac hears Derek drive off as soon as the door closes, and the same feelings of anxiety he gets at School washes over him like a tidal wave.

He doesn't get the chance to dwell on them, because Melisa mumbles something about getting ready for her shift, and there being hotdogs and oven bake fries in the fridge they can have for dinner.

'…and whatever you do, do not let Stiles touch the oven.' Melisa orders over her shoulder, heading to her room.

Isaac looks around the living room area, his eyes taking in the warm welcoming feel of everything around him. Is there anything about these people that doesn't make you feel like you're standing close to the sun? Isaac wonders.

'You can put that down.' Scott points to the bag in Isaac's hand.

Isaac looks down at the bag for a second the puts it down by the door, instinctually. Just like Derek taught him. Scott looks at Isaac strangely then nods at the bag.

'Plan on making an escape in the middle of the night?'

Isaac shrugs. 'Depends on how tonight goes.'

Scott laughs and heads to the kitchen Isaac following behind. The DVD's are laid down on the table, all of them the latest marvel hero movies.

'Are we seriously going to watch all of these?' Isaac questions, his eyes landing on the Thor DVD, he recalls Scott making a reference to it during their conversation, but was too embarrassed then to let Scott know he had no idea to what he was referring to.

'We can try,' Scott says, taking the fries out of the fridge, then proceeding to pour some on the oven tray that his mom left out on the table near the DVD's.

'Besides what we don't finish, we'll get to on the next bro weekend.'

Isaac smiles to himself at the prospect of a next time. 'So where's Stiles?'

Scott shrugs. 'He should've been here by now, don't know what's keeping him.' Isaac watches Scott pop the tray in the oven and playing around with the buttons, trying to find the right one.

'Aren't you worried something might have happened?'

Scott shakes his head. 'It's Stiles, there's usually a good reason why he's late. He'll let us know when he gets here.'

Isaac nods but doesn't say anything. The presence of his anxiety still there, but not as strong as before.

'So, which one do you wanna watch first?' Scott asks after a beat.

Isaac immediately waves the Thor DVD in the air, excitement written on his face. 'This one.'

'That's Mjolnir?' Isaac points at screen from his spot on the floor, feet stretched out in front of him. Scott who's sitting next to him on the ground with a bowl of Lays chips he and Isaac have been snacking on while they wait for Stiles to show up, nods.

'Not what you expected?' Scott asks, noticing the frown on Isaac's face.

Isaac shakes his head, not hiding his disappointment. 'He is the god of thunder and lightning, I expected Mjolnir to be a lightning bolt, not a meat tenderizer.'

Scott laughs, choking on the Lays chips. Isaac laughs, when Scott reaches for a bottle of water on the coffee table, still choking.

'You can't just say things like that when someone is in the middle of swallowing.' Scott says with a strangled voice.

'There's a, "that's what she said", joke in there somewhere, but I'm gonna let you swallow first.' Isaac quips.

Scott chokes for the second time in the space of a minute. The front door is thrown open, Stiles runs, screaming Scott's name to the high heavens.

'Scott! Scott!'

'In here Stiles.'

'I'm hearing Loki's voice, you better not have started without…' Stiles appears into view and he freezes in his steps when he sees Isaac. '…me. Isaac, you're here.'

Isaac smiles at Stiles. 'Hey, Stiles.'

'Dude, what took you so long?' Scott asks, pausing the movie. Not picking up on the sudden tension in the air between his two house guests. Unlike Isaac who has gotten used to picking up tension from the moment it starts bubbling.

'I was helping my dad.'

Scott scoffs. 'You mean bothering him.' He turns to Isaac, wanting to include him in the conversation. 'His dad is the sheriff. Pretty cool guy, don't know what went wrong with 7/11 over here.'

Isaac raises a questioning brow. '7/11?'

'You know,' Scott makes hand gesture, indicating that Stiles talks none stop. '7/11.'

Both Isaac and Scott laugh. Stiles rolls his eyes and gives Scott a slap upside the head.

'Ha ha, very funny.' Stiles says sarcastically. He turns to the paused image of Loki on screen and frowns. 'Why are you watching Thor, I thought we were going to watch the marvel movies in the order that they came out at the cinemas i.e. Iron man first.'

'I let Isaac pick the movie and he wanted to watch Thor first, we can watch Iron man afterwards, it's no big deal.' Scott shrugs nonchalantly and reaches into the bowl of lays and shoves a handful in his mouth.

Wanting to diffuse the rising tension, Isaac explains himself. 'Yeah, I've never seen the movie before or heard of it.'

Stiles looks at Isaac incredulously. 'What rock have you been living under?'

'No rock, just...' Isaac is tempted to say safe house, but thinks better of it. '…haven't seen it.' Isaac says instead.

Scott accepts that answer with a nod and stands up. 'I'm gonna get started on the hotdogs, anyone wanna help.'

'I'll help,' Isaac standing up and following Scott to the kitchen, not wanting to be left in a room alone with Stiles.

Seeing an opening to finally get to know a bit more about Isaac, Stiles follows the two in the kitchen and leans on the kitchen counter behind Scott in direct eye sight of Isaac, to let the other boy know that his attention is focused solely on him.

'So if not a rock then where did you live before you and grumpy settled in Beacon Hills?'

Isaac keeps his head down avoiding Stiles' eyes which he can feel on him, and continues cutting open the rolls and setting them on their individual plates. 'When you say grumpy I assume you're referring to Derek?'

Stiles throws his hands in the air in a "duh" manner. 'Who else.'

'Could be someone else, last time I checked Derek wasn't grumpy.'

'Uh, have you seen his face? Could someone call Snow White and let her know one of her dwarfs is missing.' Stiles retorts.

Scott laughs and looks over his shoulder at Stiles. 'You've only met the guy twice, and you barely said more than two words to him.'

'Yes, but it only takes seven seconds to make a first impression. I mean yes, he did save my ass from Jackson, although could have totally handled that situation myself…'

'With your eyes closed, bracing for impact?' Isaac comments before he can stop himself.

Stiles gives Isaac a look. 'No. Point is he made an impression that makes me perceive him as grumpy.'

'I'll be sure to pass on the message to Derek, the next time I see him.'

'You do that. Speaking of people making impressions, you've made one as well.' Stiles takes victory in the seeing Isaac tense up.

Scott looks over his shoulder at Stiles, fixing him with a stern look. Knowing his best bro the way he does, and thinking back to what Stiles' words and questions at practice. Scott has a feeling Isaac is about to get interrogated and he can't have that, that's not why he invited him over.

He stands by his statement. Isaac is not good at making friends, and if Isaac won't take the first step at making friends then Scott guesses he'll just have to be the one to do it. He likes Isaac, thinks he's an ok guy and on the plus side he listened to Scott whine about Allison without complaint or unpermitted advice.

So the least he could do is offer Isaac friendship in return. And hope that in due time, Isaac, opens up when he is ready. Until then…

'Stiles!' Scott warns.

Stiles gives him a "what" look and he and Scott go back and forth exchanging looks, much to Isaac's amused curiosity and increasing anxiety, the more dramatic Stiles' facial expressions and hand gestures get.

'Fine.' Stiles exclaims suddenly throwing his hands up and storming out of the room.

Scott sighs audibly and turns back to Isaac. 'Sorry.'

Isaac shrugs, and focuses his attention back to the hotdogs. 'He doesn't like me much does?'

'No, it's not that. He just doesn't know you.'

'You don't know me, yet you're a lot nicer to me than he is, how do you explain that?' Isaac chances a glance at Scott, who's doing the cutest impersonation of a gold fix as he struggles to find the words.

'If my being here is going to cause problems between you and Stiles, I'll leave.' Isaac abandons his task and makes to leave.

'No!' Scott grabs Isaac arm just like, Isaac, had at the field. 'I invited you here and I want you to stay. Ignore Stiles he's…just ignore him. We're going to have a great weekend, filled with movies and too much junk food that I know my mom is going to disapprove of, and is going to make us sick to our stomach, but that does not take away from the fact that it's going to be a great weekend. Trust me on that.'

Isaac practically jumps out of Derek's Camaro before the car comes to a stop. Excitement and adrenalin clouding his usually anxious and cautious self.

'Could you hold on until I park first before you jump out running?' Derek reprimands, locking all the doors automatically from his side of the car.

Isaac glares at him when he tries the door and it doesn't budge. 'I'm gonna be late for school, open the door.'

'The warning bell hasn't gone off yet.'

Isaac looks longingly at school door, watching the students pile in and out of the door, some of them rushing to get whatever it is they've forgotten in their cars, the others mostly just crowding by the door talking merrily to their friends about their weekend plans, while waiting for the bell to go off.

Thinking of the weekend, Isaac can't help but smile at the great time he had at Scott's. It was as Scott promised. Too much junk food, too many movies and not a care in the world. The only bummer was Stiles insistent questioning and probing, whenever Scott left them alone to go help his mom with something, or to go use the bathroom.

Not to mention the side eyes and glares Stiles kept sending his way whenever Scott said something and Isaac would laugh and vice versa.

But all in all it was a great weekend, and Scott had promised to check in on him before class. And Isaac couldn't contain his excitement, which was why he wanted out of the car, and he wanted out now.

'Derek.' Isaac whines, trying to open the door to no avail. Eventually he huffs and slumps back on the car seat, arms folded.

'Now that that's over.' Derek starts, then pauses, trying to figure out how to say the next words to Isaac, without upsetting him.

'What?' Isaac inquires, noticing Derek's caught between a rock and a hard place expression, which most people would refer to as sour, but Isaac knows better.

'I'm worried.' Derek says after a moment of silence. 'I'm worried about you and this friendship you seem to be forming with this, Scott McCall, kid.'

Isaac winces at the word friendship—well more like label if anything. An exclusive label, which complicates things, which turns forged relationships into something more tangible, something that exists, which goes against the rules Derek laid out.

Isaac sighs, disheartened knowing where this conversation was headed. 'There is no friendship with Scott McCall.' Isaac lies.

'Isn't there? Look Isaac, I know I agreed to letting you have your "bro weekend" with Scott and his spastic friend, but understand I only did it because I wanted you to have what you've been robbed of for the past five years. A normal teenage life. But that started and ended this past weekend. This, all of this…' Derek gestures to the school and Isaac's backpack.

'…is a cover nothing more. And that goes for your friendship, I'm sorry "none friendship" with Scott. Are we clear?'

Isaac fixes Derek with a cold stare. No words said, they stay glaring at each other until the warning bell goes off. Realising Isaac isn't going to say anything to him, Derek, unlocks the door and Isaac bolts out, making it a point to slam the door shut.

Scott looks at the cafeteria doors expectedly for what feels like the hundredth time whenever he catches movement from the corner of his eye, only to sigh audibly and deflate like a balloon when he the person he is hoping to see does not walk through the door.

'I think he's angry at me,' Scott says to Stiles, not needing to look up to know that Stiles just rolled his eyes at him.

'Do I even wanna know what brought you to that conclusion?' Stiles questions.

'Isaac and I were supposed to meet up at his locker this morning, he never showed. And every time I tried talking to him in class today he just blatantly ignored me.'

'How do you know what blatantly means?' Stiles asks genuinely surprised. He loves his best bro don't get him wrong, but in a manner of speaking he isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

Scott gives him an irritated look and Stiles rolls his eyes and goes back to his food. 'He isn't angry at you Scotty, he's angry at grumpy.'

Scott sits up, his interest piqued. 'Derek, why? And how do you know this?'

'I was walking back from my Jeep this morning minding my own business like I usually do, and I saw them arguing in the car…well the argument was more one sided because mainly grumpy was talking and Isaac, was glaring daggers into his head and when it was done, Isaac got out of the car and slammed the door. End of story. Again I was minding my own business.'

Scott frowns, wondering what it is Isaac and Derek, could have been arguing about. He honestly hopes it isn't anything serious. Scott is so lost in thought that he doesn't notice when Allison's group (Allison, Matt, Lydia, Jackson, and Danny) a couple of their other friends as well, join him and Stiles at the table.

Stiles looks around the table at a loss for words, thinking _what the fuck_. He looks to Scott for a clue as to why their table is being invaded, but the blank expression on his best bro's face tells him that he hasn't even noticed he is sandwiched awkwardly between Allison and Matt.

'Hey guys.' Allison greets, echoed by the rest of her gang, well two thirds of their gang.

'Sup.' Stiles greets them, then kicks Scott underneath the table hard to bring him back to the land of the living.

'Dude what!' Scott exclaims, rubbing his shin underneath the table. Stiles gestures around the table wildly, and it is only then that Scott notices that they have company.

Allison chuckles at her ex's usual obliviousness. 'Hey Scott.'

'Uh, hey.' Scott says, looking at Stiles when he does with the same _what the fuck_ look, that's still on his best bro's face.

A few eyebrows rise at the casualness of Scott's greeting, expecting his usual kicked puppy whine that he's been known to have whenever he spoke to or about Allison. Even Allison is taken aback.

'You don't mind us sitting with you guys do you?' Allison asks.

Scott is tempted to ask why Allison's group decided to join them, but he only needs to look around to notice that the cafeteria is unusually packed today. So Scott just shakes his head, and goes back to keep an eye out for Isaac instead.

'O—k then, now that that's over and done with.' Lydia turns to Jackson with a flip of her strawberry blond hair. 'Let's talk about your party this Friday.'

'Really you want to discuss that in front of dumb and dumber over here?' Jackson retorts earning an eye roll from Stiles.

'Who cares about them,' Lydia says dismissively with a wave of her hand. 'What time does the party start, I've already chosen my outfit and I can't wait to show it off.'

'There isn't going to be a party Lydia,' Jackson says with a bored tone. Every head at the table aside from Scott's turns and looks at him.

'What do you mean there isn't going to be a party!'

Jackson winces at Lydia's screeching tone. 'Exactly that, there isn't going to be a party.'

Jackson picks up a grape from his tray and throws it at Scott's head to get his attention.

'Thank your friend and his boyfriend for that McCall!' Jackson sneers, giving Scott, a sarcastic thumbs up.

Scott looks at Jackson, confused. 'What?'

'Your new friend, whatever his name is and that weirdo he lives with went and told my parents about the fight that **didn't** happen. And now I can't throw a party this Friday because my parents decided to cancel their trip and stay home instead, yay.'

'Isaac. His name is Isaac.' Scott says, shaking his head disapprovingly at how much of a jerk Jackson is.

'Well if this Isaac, is anything like the one that lived in the house before I hope he also disappears just as fast.'

Scott shoves his chair back and stands up, not wanting to be there anymore. 'I'm gonna go. Stiles, I'll see you in class.'

Scott leaves, not waiting for an answer. And as tempted as Stiles is to follow Scott, because really he'd rather be swallowed by the ground than be sitting with Jackson or any of his friends (Lydia excluded of course), he decides finding out about this "other Isaac" is definitely worth a few more minutes of his time.

'Shit!'

Isaac jumps at the sight of Scott, who whether it was on purpose or not, is standing behind Isaac's locker door, and scared the shit (more like the word, shit) out of Isaac, when he closed the locker door.

Scott smiles sheepishly at Isaac, and gives an awkward wave. 'Sorry, didn't mean to scare you.'

'You didn't scare me.' Isaac says, keeping his tone indifferent and disinterested.

'Sure I didn't.' Scott quips, recalling their first encounter.

Isaac bites down the smile that is tugging at his lips at the recollection, instead he defaults. He stands up straighter and towers over Scott. 'What do you want, Scott?'

'I missed you this morning, we were supposed to meet up and you didn't show. I thought I might have done something to upset you, which wouldn't make sense because I'm pretty sure we ended bro weekend on good terms, unless I did something or said something to upset you and I didn't realize, I'm sorry if I did and it would really help if you told me if I did or didn't.

Unless it's something else entirely and I'm going on and on here for nothing. Which wouldn't be nothing because I'm your friend, and if it's something whatever it is, I'd like to help if you'd let me. And you're looking at me right now like I'm psychotic, so I'm gonna shut up now.'

And Scott does just that, panting a little from saying all that he's said under one breath. Isaac looks at Scott at a loss for words. How is he supposed to act like an ass to this guy and keep at a distance, when everything he says and does is so freaking nice and sweet and selfless, that it makes Isaac want to punch himself for making Scott think even for a second that he'd done something to upset him.

Scott clears his throat, taking Isaac silence as confirmation that he (Scott) has done something to upset him. And that Stiles was wrong about Derek, being the one to upset Isaac. Not wanting to upset him any further, Scott reaches for his back pocket and takes out a cell phone and hands it to Isaac.

'I remember you said you didn't have one, so I dug up my old one and programmed my number in it. So yeah, give me a call or shoot me a text whenever you wanna talk or not, it's up to you. I'm gonna...' Scott trails off, pointing his thumb behind him then proceeds to turn and walk away in that direction, leaving Isaac standing by his locker in unshakable stupor.

He's here. His father is standing in front of him and for the life of him, Isaac, can't move his feet to run away and pure terror takes the sound from the scream he should be letting out. But he can't. He just can't.

'Hello, Isaac.' His father greets in the most gentlest of voice but it still thunders in Isaac ears. Maybe it's because he hasn't heard it in five years. Or maybe deep down, Isaac knows that voice always has, still, and always will instil fear in him.

His father tilts his head to the side and regards Isaac, almost like he sees right through him. Sees the scared little boy that ran away from home, and by the look of terror on Isaac's face, that little boy is a long way from being a man.

'Are you going to greet your old man back, Isaac? I know I raised you better, than that.' Mr Lahey takes a step towards Isaac, the action causes Isaac to blurt out his greeting in response.

'Hi, dad.' Isaac's voice wavers at the end.

Mr Lahey smiles and shortens the distance between the two of them by pulling Isaac into a bone crashing hug, patting him on the back.

'It's so good to see you son. You had me worried, I thought I had the wrong Isaac for a second there.'

Mr Lahey pulls away from the hug and holds Isaac, at arm's length looking him over. 'Look at you, you're all grown up.' He puffs out a laugh, 'You're almost a man now.'

'Uh, yeah—I uh…I guess.' Isaac offers and his father laughs.

'My son,' he says with such pride that Isaac is hit with a feeling of nostalgia and he looks down at his feet bashfully. Because the man standing in front of him looks a whole lot like the father he knew before his image was tainted with blood of the people that have died at his hands.

His mother. Brother (indirectly, given the fact Camden was running to get away from their dad). And the business partner he drowned in the pool. And many more that, Isaac, has only seen police reports on. Names and pictures of people Isaac had never heard of but somehow where all linked to his father.

The thought of all those nameless faces is like a hard slap of reality across the face and Isaac steps away from his father's embrace, making sure to keep two arm's length worth of distance between him and his father.

'What do you want?' Isaac questions, looking at his father intently for any change in posture or expression that might be threatening.

Mr Lahey mocks offence. 'What do I want? I haven't seen my son since he ran away from home only for him to return five years later and not even tell me that his moved back home. What do I want? Isaac, I want my son back.'

'He said what?!'

Isaac pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to lessen the throbbing in his head. 'He said he wants his son back. He said he is sorry for what I saw but it was self-defence and I ran before he could explain and he'd like me to give him the chance to do just that.'

'Meaning?'

Isaac looks up at Derek, who is standing in front of him arms folded, scowl permanently set on his face, dreading what he has to say next.

'He wants to come over and talk…with me…alone.'

Derek snorts his thoughts of the idea. Isaac sighs.

'This might be the only chance we have to get him to confess and get it on tape. We both know he won't talk if you're here.' Isaac reasons.

Derek shakes his head. 'I don't like this. I don't like him initiating the meeting. I don't like him deciding where the meeting will be. I don't like the fact that he doesn't want me there.'

Derek goes quiet, a look of contemplativeness shadowing his face.

'Derek?'

'Did he ask about me? Who I am? Why we're living together? Did he ask about you where you've been these past five years, how it is you survived living out there on your own?'

Isaac rubs his hands on his faces and lets out a frustrated groan. 'No, Derek, he didn't. Our conversation got cut short. There's a lacrosse game tonight, and most of the kids at school were lingering and walking around the halls.'

Isaac swallows down the guilt that comes with the memory of promising Scott at the sleep over, sorry "bro weekend" that he'd come and support Scott at his next lacrosse game. Scott had smiled at the promise and told Isaac, _"I'll look out for you in the crowd."_

Isaac sighs, knowing Scott won't find him there.

'What?' Derek inquires, seeing the forlorn look on Isaac's face.

'Isaac shakes his head. 'Nothing. So are we doing this or what? Do we give in to my father's terms, yes or no?'

Derek scowls then nods reluctantly. 'It's not like we have a choice.'

'I think there's something more going on with Isaac than that meets the eye,' Scott says while watching Stiles cover his curly fries with mustard and tomato sauce to the point where you can't even see the fries only the yellow and red of the sauces.

Stiles rolls his eyes at Scott. They're supposed to be having celebratory burgers and fries after their win last night. But so far Scott's food has hardly been touched, only his soda, even that's not half way through to finished like it usually would be.

'You mean, the guy is a transformer that's taken the form of a human instead of a cool ass Camaro? Although technically since they do have a Camaro, I guess your theory kind of makes sense. Although in this case bumblebee has gone seriously dark side, I'm talking bumblebee 2.0 here.'

Scott chuckles warmly at Stiles'…well _Stilesness_. Scott swears sometimes that his best friend is not from the planet earth, let alone this universe.

Stiles caves when Scott doesn't say anything, and decides to entertain him on the, Isaac subject, just this once.

'Let's hear it. This thing with Isaac that's bothering you.'

'I don't know there's just something about him you know, something that doesn't quiet add up.'

Stiles snorts at that. '"Something" huh, and here I thought you were gonna be vague.'

Scott glares at Stiles, who in return sighs dramatically and slumps back on his chair. 'Ok, fine you're right there is something there. It's actually been staring us in the face and ironically enough it came in the form of Jackson Whitmore of all people.'

'Jackson? What does Jackson have to do with Isaac?'

Stiles raises a questioning brow at Scott's tone or rather his underlying tone. 'I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear the jealousy in your voice, for the sake of friendship. Or until you ready to crack your bi closet door open a little to let some sun light in.'

Scott looks at Stiles, confused by that last statement. Stiles waves it off.

'Anyway, remember the night of the party when Jackson thought he recognised Isaac, and the other day in the cafeteria when he said something like if this Isaac is anything like the last one that lived in that house he hopes he *also* disappears?'

Scott frowns, thinking back to both occasions and remembering the look Isaac and Derek shared when Jackson thought he recognised Isaac.

'Yeah I remember.' Scott confirms.

'Yeah well, after you left I asked Jackson what he meant by he hoped Isaac disappeared like the last one, and he said I should go and ask my father what he means. So…'

Scott cuts Stiles off. 'Naturally you did the opposite and just went through your father's files without asking.'

Stiles smiles proudly at Scott. 'Naturally. You know me so well.'

Both Scott and Stiles laugh.

'What you find?' Scott asks, leaning forward on his chair and resting his forearms on the table, Stiles following his lead after making a show of looking around and making sure no one is eaves dropping on their conversation.

'Do you know the caretaker at the graveyard, Mr Lahey?'

Scott nods, supressing a shudder at the thought of living so close to the dead. 'Yeah, used to coach the swim team at school, which was like—five years ago or something before he got fired.'

'Yeah well, as it turns out five years ago, his son, Isaac, 13 years of age, walked in on his father drowning someone in their pool and he ran for the hills or rather he went straight to the police station, confessed what he saw, then was put into witness protection.'

'Witness protection? Why would they put him in witness protection wouldn't it make more sense to put him in foster care instead, I mean his father was arrested for murder wasn't he?'

'He would have been arrested for murder had he not pled self-defence. And Isaac would have been sent to foster care had his father not turned out to be, wait for it…'

Stiles drum rolls the air. '…a drug dealer.'

Scott's jaw drops, not believing his ears. 'No way, dude.'

'Way. He used to be a big deal. But his partners dropped him as soon as they heard that there's a witness that could possibly send his ass to jail, his son no less. And it looks like his chickens have come home to roost.'

'Roost, isn't it roast?'

'It's roost Scott. Why would chickens willingly come home to roast, like what the fuck?'

Scott smiles slyly, and Stiles hits him on the arm, when he realises he's being played.

'Dumbass.' Stiles quips.

'So, what do you mean by his chickens have come home to roost?'

'They couldn't pin anything on him because they didn't have enough evidence. But the guy has been searching for his son, even five years later he's still searching for him. Which can only mean one thing. His son, **Isaac** , may be or may have the one thing that could send him to jail. And I don't think it's a coincidence that **five years** later, a **seventeen** year old, **Isaac** has moved to Beacon hills, and is living in the very same house as **thirteen** year old Isaac, that ran away.'

At this point Scott's jaw has hits the ground and has become unhinged, at the conclusion his mind is coming to. 'You're not saying…'

'Yes I am. It's not rocket science. Math but not rocket science.'

The plan was simple. Isaac would invite his father over and Derek would make himself scarce. And Isaac would play the role of the prodigal son coming home to his father after so long. And hopefully get his father to open up about what Isaac had seen, and hopefully incriminate himself in the process.

They'd planned it down to T. they'd planned for every possibility but one. Derek getting arrested. There had been a break-in in some house, somewhere two nights before and someone called in with an anonymous tip, saying they'd seen a black Camaro parked across the street from the house the whole week prior. And seeing as Derek was the only guy in town who drove a black Camaro…

Derek hadn't seen it coming. One moment he was walking out of a café on his way home, with just an hour to spare before, Mr Lahey, would show up, then the next he was being pinned to the hood of a police cruiser and being told _"he has the right to remain silent"_. Like what the fuck.

'What do you mean you got arrested, Derek?!'

Derek clenches his fist at the panicked tone in Isaac's voice. Praying to whatever higher power that's out there listening, that some freak accident happen to whoever the idiot was that wrongfully or purposely identified him for a crime he didn't commit.

'Isaac, I need you to calm down and not panic.' Derek pleads, keeping his tone void of the panic and anger coursing through his veins at the moment.

'Not panic! Derek my dad will be here in half an hour. You're supposed to be here now making sure I don't screw things up when he shows up.' Isaac's voice loses momentum towards then end, voice shaking in fear.

'Derek I can't do this without you. You promised me you'd have my back you can't go back on your word, you just can't.'

'I'm not. Which is why you're going to call your dad and tell him that dinner's cancelled. If he asks why, tell him that you had plans you forgot about and will have to reschedule. Afterwards I want you to lock all the doors and the windows. Turn of all the lights and make it look like nobody's home. Do you understand me?'

There's no answer at the end of the line, just shallow panicked breathing.

'Isaac! Do-You-Understand-Me?' Derek demands, using his big brother, cop voice to snap Isaac out of the state of panic he's in.

'Y-yes.' Isaac finally says.

Derek sighs in relief, the tension in his shoulders loosening up a bit. 'Good. Do it now. Lock the doors and windows now. I wanna hear you do it.'

There's movement on the other line, turning of the keys and clicking sound of a lock. And curtains being drawn closed.

'Derek.'

'Yeah?'

'What if he doesn't believe me? What if he just shows up anyway?'

For a moment Derek doesn't know what to say to comfort Isaac. Because given experience, Derek knows by some sick twist of fate or cosmic joke the worst case scenario is almost always likely to happen.

In this case, Lahey showing up anyway and his true intentions finally being revealed.

'Isaac, I'm gonna do what I can to get this mess sorted out and I promise you I'll be there as soon as I can, I promise you. As soon as I can.'

Things weren't going as planned thus far, so it should come to no surprise when they freaking spiral out of control. The moment he hung up, a knock sounded from the door out of nowhere, and Isaac knew from the cold feeling running down his back that it was his dad on the other side of the door.

'Isaac, it's your father open the door.'

And the devil speaks.

'Isaac?'

Isaac looks down at his phone thinking where Derek is now is where his father is supposed to be. This is why he came back isn't it. To get justice. To take back all those years of hiding. He came back to do something, and it's about time he did.

With unsteady feet. Isaac walks to the door and unlocks it. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he curls his fingers around the door handle, pushed it down and pulled open the door, steps aside and let's his father in.

They go through the mundane paces of dinner. Small talk filled with: how _you been's_ and _it's been long._ But no _, where you been_ and _I know what you did._

It's a familiar dance for them. Muscle memory making up for the years they hadn't done it. Making up for the missed father and son awkward and tension filled dinners. One party wishing he could crawl into his skin and be anywhere else but there; and the other party feeding of the sick surge of power of the others discomfort.

The only comfort Isaac finds in the whole situation is that, this act is a necessary evil that's leading up to something. And how he wishes they could just get to that point already.

'So,' his father's voice cuts through his thoughts. Isaac looks up at him waiting for him to continue, knowing this was it.

'Five years huh?' Isaac's father says trying his best to keep his tone light.

'Mm.'

'That's a long time. Where you been all these years? What have you been doing? Where have you been living?'

Isaac looks down at his plate, pushing around the food, recalling what Derek told him when they were rehearsing for this very moment and these very questions.

 _Keep your answers as vague as possible. Don't give him any details he might use to trap you into actually admitting to where you been. Chances are he knows and is just trying to trap you into admitting that you're working with us. Don't fall for it._

'I've been here and there. Nowhere special.'

'You wanna elaborate on that son?' Mr Lahey says, cutting into his meat with unnecessary force, trying to keep the facade going.

Isaac looks up at his father and shrugs. 'A street corner here. A bridge there. If I was lucky a homeless shelter somewhere.'

'And now you're back.' Mr Lahey says.

'And now I'm back.' Isaac concurs.

Silence falls on them. Isaac's father looks at him sizing him up. Trying to get a read out of him. So far, nothing. So he decides to try a different angle.

'It's funny how you chose to live the way you did over staying here, at home with your father and…'

Isaac laughs coldly, cutting his father of and catching him of guard.

'Instead of staying home with your father and what, dad? Have you lie to me and the police? Have you tell me that I didn't see you murder that man in our pool. The same way I didn't see you kill mom?!' Isaac glares at his father.

'I told you your mother left.' Mr Lahey hisses through gritted teeth.

'I'm not eight years old anymore dad. I'm not gonna buy that bullshit story you made up! '

'Isaac!'

'No!' Isaac pushes his chair back and stands up, towering over his father as his anger gets the better of him.

'I was there! I heard you two arguing, I heard her threaten to go to the police! I saw you hit the back of her head with a bat. I was there when she found…' Isaac trails of, realising the reason why his father was so adamant on having dinner at their old home.

'You were there when she found what, Isaac?' Mr Lahey slowly stands up from the table. His eyes dead set on his son, like a predator getting ready to go in for the kill.

'How could I forget?' Isaac reprimands himself. Flashing back to the last day he saw his mother. Remembering the files she gave him that she took out of his father's pathetic excuse of a hiding place (a little box like, makeshift safe underneath the floor boards of the master bedroom).

Isaac remembers the look of realisation and shock on his mother's face when it'd hit her what she had in her hands. When she realised who her husband, the father of her kids really was. He remembers the pacing and the muttered "I can't believe this," and "I need to go to the police." And "This could send him away for life."

He remembers her freezing on the spot when she heard her husband's car pull up outside. And he remembers her turning to him and giving him the files and asking him to hide them in his secret place, where he hid his comic books from his brother and every once in a while the extra chocolate bar his mother snuck him, when she decided to go on one her random diets and needed to resist the urge to give into her cravings.

All this time, he'd been sitting on the one thing that could send his father to jail. Confession not necessary at all. And he'd forgotten all about it.

'Where are they Isaac? Where'd you hide the files?' Mr Lahey stalks towards Isaac.

Isaac shakes his head, taking a couple of steps back, distancing himself from his father.

'You'll never find them.'

'We'll see about that.'

There's a pause, then suddenly Mr Lahey flings himself across the table at his son, grabbing Isaac by his shirt, all the while shouting. 'You're going to tell me where those files are, Isaac. Whether I have to beat it out of you is up to you!'

'Go to hell!' Isaac spits out.

'Ok then.' Mr Lahey punches Isaac's jaw twice, only to be taken aback by Isaac shoving him and tackling him to the floor.

Stiles looks at his father, feigning offence and hurt while the sheriff stands by the copier.

'Really dad, your only son comes all this way to check on his old man who he hasn't seen the whole day, and "what are you doing here Stiles" is the greeting he gets?'

Sherriff Stilinski shakes his head, an amused smiles on his face and continues to make copies of the report he was copying before Stiles walked in. 'Hi Stiles. Why are you here?'

Stiles scoffs. 'That's better at least.' He raises a plastic of take-away and shakes them in front of his father's face. 'I brought you your dinner. Figured you might be pulling an all nighter.'

'Thank you son. Do you mind putting those in my office, I'm kind of busy here.'

'Sure thing.' Stiles pats his dad on his shoulder then heads to his office.

'Holy shit!' Stiles yelps, when he sees Derek sitting in his father's office, hands cuffed at the back, sporting his usual scowl. 'What the—Derek! Why the hell are you handcuffed in my father's office.'

Derek fixes Stiles with a look. 'Why do you think smartass?'

Stiles looks at Derek for a moment then doubles over with laughter, to Derek's confusion.

'What's so funny?'

Stiles straightens up. 'This whole situation. This must be weird for you, being on the receiving end, considering you're a cop. Well actually considering you're law enforcement.'

Derek expression falters for a moment before he schools his features back to trademark scowl. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Come on grumpy, don't insult my intelligence. I know about Isaac. I know who and what his father is and most importantly, I know what happened five years ago.'

'How do you know all that?' Derek asks, too shocked to even keep up his front. Which is a first for him.

Stiles shrugs and smiles smugly. 'I'm the sheriff's son, duh. That and my best friend decided to take an interest in Isaac, which by extension means I had to take an interest in Isaac. Although I'll admit my interest had more to do with me thinking that Isaac was a threat to my friendship with Scott, who by the way may not realise it yet, but I think has a little crush on your roommate and why do you have that look on your face?'

Derek stands up abruptly, crowding Stiles' personal space. Despite being handcuffed still manages to look threatening.

'Whoa, what the hell dude, personal space.' Stiles exclaims, taking a step back from Derek, who in retaliation takes two steps towards Stiles.

'Who else have you told about Isaac?'

'No one, aside from Scott.'

'And who has he told?'

'No one, I'm the only person he tells anything important to, and trust me he hasn't told anyone.'

'What about your dad, does he know about Isaac? Is that why he brought me in on a false charge. I will have his badge for this if anything happens…'

'Hey!' Stiles shoves Derek. 'Don't go threatening my dad ass wipe. He doesn't know anything, I figured it all out on my own.'

Derek backs away from Stiles, muttering curses under his breath.

'What? What is it?' Stiles asks, his curiosity piqued.

'Sherriff!' Derek shouts.

'Dude, what are you doing?'

Derek ignores Stiles' question. 'Sherriff!'

Sherriff Stilinski storms into his office, a couple of officers behind him. 'What? What is—Stiles what are you doing in here?'

Stiles starts to talk but Derek cuts him off. 'I need you to get these cuffs of me, I need to get to Isaac he might be in danger.'

'First of all, what? And secondly, who the hell is Isaac?' Sherriff Stilinski inquires.

'Listen to me. I'm an undercover cop, assigned to protect Isaac, he's a witness in a case I can't get into detail of. You don't believe me you can contact my superior, his number is on my phone speed dial three.'

Derek turns his back to the Sherriff and raises his cuffed hands. 'Uncuff me. I need to get to Isaac, he's in danger.'

For a moment no one says or does anything just stands there, processing what was just said. Derek looks over his shoulder, a look of determination bordering on pissed off masking his face.

'TAKE THEM OFF.'

'I can't believe your dad locked you up.' Scott said looking at Stiles in shock, the chatter in the cafeteria just back ground noise to them.

Stiles throws his hands in the air in a fit. 'The whole weekend Scott! And do you know what happened during my time in the slammer Scott?'

'You became someone's bitch.' Scott teases, laughing at his own joke.

Stiles glares daggers at Scott. 'Thanks for the vote of confidence buddy.'

Scott just smiles and waits not so patiently for Stiles to tell him about the events that went down, Saturday night. Which is what pretty much what the whole school is talking about after the news broke on Sunday on the evening news.

Although not much was really given away, other than the fact that Mr Lahey was a big time drug dealer, who's murdered countless faceless victims whose names and identity's will not be revealed as of yet. Two murders of which his own son witnessed (the press had absolutely no problem leaking his identity, name, photo and all, hence the school buzzing).

'Anyway,' Stiles starts. 'After my dad confirmed that yes, Derek, is an undercover cop and my dad locked his own son up. Half the department and Derek went to the Lahey house and didn't come back until like an hour or so later. Mr Lahey and Isaac in tow, and wait for it…the FBI.'

Scott's jaw drops. 'Are you serious, the FBI?'

'Yeah, I didn't hear much other than Lahey screaming to the high heavens that they can't prove anything and, " _whatever evidence the little shit",_ has a.k.a his own son, thinks he has will not be admissible in court. They talked and talked the whole Saturday night and half of Sunday away, until finally they all left and my dear old dad released me from jail.'

'When you say they all left…'

'I mean all Scott, Isaac included. I drove by his house this morning and it was empty, sorry.' Stiles smiles sympathetically at Scott.

Scott shrugs and waves a hand brushing it of like he isn't bothered in the slightest by Isaac's departure.

'Nah, I get it. He's a character witness isn't he? He probably needs to go back to hiding until the trail. It's for the best.'

'Mm.' is all Stiles says, leaving Scott to his thoughts, knowing full well that his best friend does not take saying goodbye to people he's gotten to know and care about well.

 **EPILOGUE – 3 months later**

'Scott you better not have started bro weekend without me!' Stiles shouts, running into the house and to the living room nearly tripping on his own feet.

'I'm just watching the previews,' Scott says poorly stifling a laugh that gains him a slap upside the head when Stiles settles next to him.

'That's basically starting bro weekend without me.' Stiles argues.

'Bro weekend only starts when the popcorn gets popping and you know it.'

'Well then get to it,' Stiles waves his hand in the general direction of the kitchen while fishing his phone out of his pocket and speed dialling the number of the pizza place.

Scott chuckles. 'I can't believe you have the pizza place number on speed dial.'

'Beats memorizing it or turning the kitchen inside out looking for the menu just to get the number.'

'What if you butt dial it by accident?'

Stiles starts laughing. 'I did once without realising, man I'm pretty sure at some point I farted into the receiver.'

Both Scott and Stiles laugh hysterically. Scott gets up off the couch and heads to the kitchen to get started on the popcorn while, Stiles, tries to compose himself enough to say their order to the person on the other side of the line.

Half way to the kitchen someone knocks at the door. Scott looks over his shoulder at Stiles with a raised questioning brow.

'Expecting someone?' He asks and Stiles scoffs.

'Unless the pizza places' new policy is now 30 seconds or less, I'm pretty sure that's not for me.'

Scott shakes his head light-heartedly at his best friend and goes to answer the door. Scott stands frozen at the door when he comes face to face with the person on the other side.

'Isaac.'

Isaac smiles nervously. 'Hey, Scott.'

'Uh, hi,' Scott says lamely not knowing what to say. He hadn't really thought he'd be seeing Isaac anytime soon if ever.

They both stand there in silence, both not knowing what to say.

'Who's at the door Sc…holy shit Isaac!' Stiles exclaims behind Scott.

Isaac waves awkwardly, starting to think it was a bad idea showing up at Scott's door step unannounced. 'Stiles.'

'Dude what are you doing here, shouldn't you be underground or something until the trial?' Stiles questions.

Isaac nods shifting his weight to the other foot trying not to be fazed by Scott's blank scrutiny.

'I should, I was. But I got tired of hiding. I decided to come up for air and join the rest of civilisation on the condition that I have some kind of protection.' Isaac points over his shoulder at the black Camaro, the driver's window open halfway.

'Awesome you brought grumpy back with you. HEY DEREK!' Stiles shouts, waving frantically at Derek, who makes it a point to roll up the window.

Stiles snorts. 'He seriously does not think he can ignore me. Stiles Stilinski cannot be ignored.'

Stiles pushes past Scott and pats Isaac on the shoulder. 'Good to have you back buddy, Scott missed you.' He then proceeds towards the car like he didn't just drop a bomb on both Isaac and Scott.

Scott clears his throat looking down at his feet willing the flush on his face to disappear. 'Uh Stiles obviously meant to say that we both missed you.'

Isaac chuckles, following Scott's lead and looking anywhere but at the other. 'Yeah, I picked up on that.'

'Mm.'

'And obviously I missed you and Stiles, mainly you, just don't tell Stiles.'

Scott finally looks at Isaac, smiling. 'So you're back then?'

'Yeah.'

'Temporary?'

'I'm thinking permanent basis, that's the other reason why Derek came back with me.'

Scott looks at Isaac, confused. 'Legally I'm still a minor, I can't live on my own. So Derek, agreed to continue to play the role of guardian until next year when I turn eighteen.'

'Oh ok, so you guys will be staying at your old place or…'

'God no. don't get me wrong I missed home, but that place stopped being home a long time ago. Yeah, Derek and I are staying in a loft in some apartment building in town. I think his family owns it or something, I'm not really sure about the story there.'

Scott nods, trying to hide how happy he is about the news of Isaac (even Derek, maybe or maybe not) staying in Beacon Hills on a permanent basis, the ever growing infectious smiles on his face a dead give away though.

'So you guys just arrived in town then?' Scott asks, moving to lean on the door frame, Isaac follows his lead by leaning on the opposite side and shoving his hands in his pocket.

'Actually we arrived two nights ago.'

Scott's eyebrows shoot up. 'Really?'

Isaac looks down at his shoes kicking at an imaginary rock. 'Yeah, I would come over sooner, but—I wasn't sure if I would be welcome.'

Scott frowns at that. 'Why wouldn't you be welcome?'

Isaac shrugs, he looks over at the Camaro where Stiles is peering in the window through the crack of the window that's barely big enough to fit an arm through. Scott hits Isaac's arm lightly to get his attention, he repeats his question and Isaac shrugs again.

'I didn't exactly leave things between us in the best of terms. You know with me ignoring your attempts at friendship and leaving town without clearing the air.'

Scott laughs, like what Isaac just said is the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. 'Isaac, I get why you did it man. And honestly there are no hard feelings.'

'Yeah?' Isaac asks sceptically, a smile forming on his lips despite the scepticism.

'Yeah, Stiles and me were about to kick off, a Jason Stathman marathon bro weekend and you're just in time.'

Isaac laughs at Scott, who is literally bouncing with excitement on the spot. 'That sounds like fun. I just need to go back to the loft and grab my stuff.'

'Awesome, we'll wait.' Scott says encouragingly.

'Cool, I'll get to it then.' Isaac turns on his heels and jogs to the car passing Stiles on the way.

Stiles stands next to Scott at the door way and they both watch Derek drive off, then Stiles turns to Scott with a goofy smiles.

'Look at you all smiles' Stiles comments and Scott's smile just grows. 'Tell him you have a gay boner for him yet?'

'Stiles,' Scott whines. 'Not this again.' He walks into the house Stiles right on his tail.

'I'm just saying when you're ready to admit it, as your best bro I stand firmly behind you—no homo.'

'Stiles!'

 **FIN**


End file.
